Using re-fillable soap dispensers can make hands dirtier than when you first stepped into the washroom, leading to the spread of germs and sickness and doing the exact opposite of what soap is meant to do: Keep you Clean!

Usually when we think of soap, we think of cleanliness and a fresh fragrance. However, certain soap dispensers can contain bacteria that is much more harmful than the stuff we run into during our daily lives, and that bacteria can end up making us sick.

Refillable soap dispensers have an open reservoir, which can lead to bacterial contamination and the formation of a bacterial biofilm inside the dispenser – which remains even after cleaning the dispenser with bleach. The remaining biofilm can then contaminate the new soap, continuing the cycle of spreading bacteria and potentially sickness as well. According to a 2011 study, these types soap dispensers can increase disease-causing bacteria by up to 25%, leading to increased sickness and a higher probability of transferring bacteria to other surfaces.

There are, however, preventative measures that can be taken. Perhaps the best option is to switch to sealed re-fill systems. According to GOJO microbiologist Dave Shumaker, “The sanitary sealed systems have many advantages. The soap refills are sanitarily sealed at the manufacturer and easily snap into place inside the dispenser.” Shumaker goes on to explain how simple and safe the system is. “Empty refills snap right out and are ready to be recycled. New soap is never refilled or exposed to the environment, unlike refillable bulk soap. This helps to prevent contamination of airborne germs in the air or from fingers of the person doing the refilling.”

After washing with contaminated soap, hands can have 25x more germs and the germs can cause illness that leads to fever, vomiting, and pink eye. These symptoms can all be avoided by switching to the safer option of sealed re-fill soap systems. By doing this, employees and co-workers will stay healthier longer and in turn, a healthy workplace environment will be created.